http://mmajunkie.comMarlon Sandro has been so close to the mountaintop he could practically have reached out to plant his flag. Twice.

But twice, he has come up short. Friday, Sandro begins the road back to what he hopes is another appearance in a Bellator tournament championship – and what he hopes ultimately will be a different result.

Bellator 81 takes place at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I., with a main card on MTV2 (8 p.m. ET) following prelims on Spike.com. Sandro and Neace’s featherweight bout takes place on the main card.

Sandro came up short in his first Bellator tournament when he was knocked out by current champion Pat Curran in the 2011 “Summer Series” featherweight finals. He won a stay-busy fight later that fall, then got right back on the horse in the Season 6 tournament.

But he came up short, yet again, losing to Daniel Straus in the finals this past May.

So again, Sandro takes a stay-busy fight, then wants right back into the mix when the calendar turns over – and right back in the mix in what has become Bellator’s most competitive division. Curran is set to defend his title in the new year against Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. Then Straus gets the winner. And the current featherweight tournament winner will be in line after that.

“In reality, I asked for one more fight (before the next tournament),” Sandro told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “My goal is to close out the year with one more victory (and) to start out the new year on the right foot. Of course, a victory would be best, regarding my entry into the next tournament in January.”

Sandro, of course, was not happy with the pair of losses. But he said he used both the Curran fight, as well as the Straus fight, as learning moments to continue getting better.

“I try to learn from every fight, win or lose,” he said. “From every fight, certain points of improvement can be identified. It’s important to constantly attempt to perfect all skill sets. Mistakes are made, even in winning fights. It would be a mistake to rest on one’s laurels after a victory. The goal is always to have a good fight and finish one’s opponent as quickly as possible.”

Against Straus, Sandro and his team identified specific areas of improvement that have been targeted since the spring.

“I’ve been taking the time to analyze all my errors from my previous fights,” Sandro said. “I’ve been seeking improvements as far as my physical conditioning, jiu-jitsu, etc. I saw that during my last fight – I made some mistakes, and missed opportunities for sweeps and submissions. Same thing with my boxing. So I’ve been working on those elements.”

It would be hard to doubt Sandro’s commitment to getting back into the next Bellator tournament and winning it. After all, the man has been known to wear a gladiator costume on his way to the cage – a costume that resembles Bellator’s logo.

And he upped the ante with a new tattoo, as well – a permanent reminder of the spirit he hopes carries him to that next level, finally.

“My new tattoo is of myself, dressed as a gladiator,” Sandro said. “A gladiator’s life fits me, as it also fits Bellator’s image. It’s also in their honor … I was very thankful to them. I think (Bellator) loved my idea, so I’ll always be wearing it going forward.”

He hopes a few fights from now, he’s wearing in another tournament final, and wearing it on the way out of the venue with a $100,000 check in hand.

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